大象传媒

PLAYING WITH CHAFF
I remember playing on Skegness beach next to a dismantled pillbox, where one day I was fortunate enough to find a gold ring in the sand. Thinking of Skegness again, this brought back memories of when I used to talk with my Grandfather, a humble gentlemen鈥檚, gentlemen headmaster. I would always float above the ground when I heard his quietly told stories. He had started off as a normal enlisted private in the First World War; he came home on his first leave a corporal and a Military Medal owner. By the end of the war he had justifiably earned the rank of Captain M.C. and Bar. His name was Walter Hart and he never knowingly as a general rule, use his rank or wore his medals. He was really a wonderful boy鈥檚 role model. After the First World War he became a humble headmaster and created the first YMCA in Skegness using only TENTS.
This YMCA became one of the load off points for service personnel returning from the Dunkirk Evacuation. My Aunts and Uncles can recall mud caked soldiers being ferried off the trains at Skegness into the tents.
Shortly after the war, round about 1953, just after the King died, we moved to Bridlington, shortly before Coronation Review.
A policeman stopped my Father in the street to confirm his previous address and name. My Father asked 鈥淲hy鈥�?
The policeman replied; 鈥淲ell, what do you know about a Lee Enfield Rifle 303 being found in your loft?鈥� My Father had never been in that loft. It had materialised later that the house had been used previously as a soldier鈥檚 billet.
Near Louth where there used to be a RAF Base, my Mother could remember me playing with rubbish and pieces , as boys do, but they were bits and pieces of the early Radar Jamming pieces, now known as 鈥楥HAFF鈥�. Chaff was like tiny cut pieces of aluminium foil, that used to be dropped out of aircraft to confuse the enemy radar. Very useful on D-DAY and Paratrooper landings.
For years after the war, I was always afraid for my house, where ever I was. Because I had infant memories of air raid sirens, a useful guide for child psychologists.
I am one of those rare people who seem to be able to even have memories when I was in a pram!

鈥楾his story was submitted to the Peoples war site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of John Burrows and has been added to the site with his permission.. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions鈥�

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.